Health workers force Victorian government backdown

Written by: Bill F. on 19 February 2026

Determined and united action by members of the Health Workers Union has forced the Victorian government to make significant concessions to the union campaign for better wages and conditions.

The union represents some of lowest paid workers in the state’s hospital service, such as cleaners, orderlies, cooks, clerks, security guards and some technicians.

This campaign had been going on for well over a year, with bans and protected stop-work action building pressure on the government.

The HWU claim for 12% increase over 2 years was met initially with a paltry 3.3% over 3 years, promptly rejected, and a later offer of 9% also totally rejected.

The government would have known then that these workers were not going to back off, but chose to prolong the dispute.

Massive strike action ultimately took place on 18 February, involving a rally and march from nearby Footscray Park to Premier Jacinta Allen’s formal opening of the new Footscray Hospital. While the new hospital made the news cycle, so did the noisy and angry health workers. A further offer then conceded the full 12% over 2.5 years and will be put to the members to consider.

What do workers learn?

That they need to act together to get anywhere, that they need smart, honest, and dedicated union leaders, and that they need to be resilient to outlast the bosses. They also learn that whatever they win, the bosses keep coming to take it away again, the prices keep going up, the conditions start to slip, workloads only get bigger – capitalism never takes a “sickie”.

So, it goes on – struggle, win a bit, lose it over time, struggle again, win a bit again, lose it all again – the system works for the bosses, not the workers!

Socialism puts an end to this rubbish and brings the working class to power in society, bringing security and justice to hard-working families, replacing week to week struggle and insecurity. 

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